Helge Langli (born 1964) is a Norwegian linguist noted for his contributions to semantics, pragmatics, and discourse analysis. He earned his doctorate (Ph.D.) in linguistics from the University of Oslo, where he later became a professor in the Department of Linguistics, Philology and Philosophy.
Langli’s research focuses on the interface between syntax and semantics, the structure of discourse, and the theory of speech acts. He has contributed to the development of discourse representation theory (DRT) and has explored topics such as anaphora, presupposition, and the interpretation of conversational implicature.
Among his notable publications are:
- "Discourse and the Structure of Specification" (1992) – a monograph investigating how discourse contexts shape the specification of referential expressions.
- "Conversational Implicature and the Theory of Pragmatics" (1997) – an article examining the mechanisms by which speakers convey implied meanings.
- "The Pragmatics of Negation" (2001, co‑edited) – a collection of papers addressing the role of negation in pragmatic inference.
Langli has held visiting positions at several institutions, including the University of Cambridge and the University of Leeds, and he has been a regular reviewer for linguistic journals such as Journal of Pragmatics and Linguistics and Philosophy. He is a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
His work is widely cited in the fields of formal semantics and pragmatics, influencing both theoretical models and applied linguistic research.
